For those who remember, I ran “Pheeling Goosebumps” on Blogger to begin the 2007 season. My goal was to document a season that I predicted would be special. It was. Easily.

The 2007 Phillies broke through, finally, winning the National League East in a flurry. They benefited from a monumental Mets collapse and won just enough to overtake the New Yorkers. The dream ended with a 3-0 sweep by the Colorado Rockies in the National League Division Series.

Now we focus on 2008.

If you remember, General Manager Pat Gillick tabbed 2008 as the year the Phils would finally contend for a World Championship . And now that the Phils finally broke through the playoffs barrier, 2008 seems to be “the year.” Yes, special things are going to happen in ‘08. Despite any injuries, despite any failures, despite any hardships, 2008 will be a very, very special year for the Phillies.

Look around. The Phils could potentially run away with the NL East. Sure, the Mets will be back for contention, and the Braves should make their run. The Marlins and Nationals may even throw in their best. But it’s close to certain the best team in the East remains the Phillies. With improvements, the Phils will be the outright “team to beat.” Around the NL, there’s some uncertainty, yet we know this much: the West will be a dog fight, the Central will be full of dogs. Whoever wins the East might be able to wipe up the rest of the league. The Phils are well positioned.

This blog will document what looks to be a very special year — the year. I’ll provide the news and opinions, then bring my own opinion — hard. Like the description says, it’s a subjective blog. I can never keep my opinions to myself, so don’t expect straight news. Expect what you want to read.

Click the links above for more. I’ll provide running commentary throughout the year, including the framework for what I hope will be a prose document of my fandom during a season on the brink. And I’ll also provide rankings — player and power — ones I hope will be a bit more informative and engaging than most.

I hope you find Pheeling Goosebumps an exciting spot for Phillies commentary. Because this is commentary. It won’t be news, it will be opinion. Bookmark me, RSS me, keep watching me at least. This will be a fantastic season. It will be The Season.